Uber on the Night Tube: We’re still here, don’t forget us

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Jack Palmer

I am a budding journalist with a keen interest in renewable energy and its broader impact on law, politics and business. I am currently a student with plans to travel overseas and document different cultures and their divides.

Uber is feeling a little left out due to the fanfare around the Night Tube (Source: Getty)

Jack Palmer

Uber has released statistics today showing how its number of rides has been affected by the introduction of the Night Tube.

While this is good news for Londoners wanting to paint the town red for a little longer at the weekends, what does it mean for other forms of transport?

Before the introduction of the Night Tube, nearly four in 10 Uber rides in London began or ended within 200 metres of a tube station. The company had predicted a drop in journeys when the service was brought in on 19 August.

That is the case in Central London. Of the 19 stations on the Central and Victoria lines in Zone 1, 11 experienced a decline in the number of Uber pickups. Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch and St Paul’s were the worst affected, all suffering 20 to 40 per cent drops in numbers.

Outside of Zone 1, however, nearly all of the stations have seen an increase in the number of Uber pickups. There has been an overall increase of 63 per cent in journeys starting at a Night Tube station outside of Zone 1 - compare this to an increase of only 22 per cent over all Night Tube stations.

The official Uber blog attributes this to Londoners knowing “they can rely on Uber to get the last mile home safely and affordably, once they reach their nearest tube station".

Uber also carried out research to prove the increase in pickups outside of Zone 1 was down to the Night Tube. Uber trips at night during weekdays rose by only four per cent; this compares to the 63 per cent rise during weekend nights (Friday and Saturday).

The general manager of Uber in London, Tom Elvidge, commented: “Uber has always been a complement to public transport, helping to fill in the gaps between the tube, trains and where people are heading.

“The combination of the Night Tube and Uber helps make our capital a truly 24 hour city for everyone.”